Airborne 12.09.16

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Airborne 12.09.16

FAA: Improvements Must Be Completed By Tuesday

Today's the day for
Macon's Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN). February 21 is the
deadline date set by the FAA for the airport to make a number of
improvements and repairs... or else it could lose its
operating certificate.

Among the needed improvements cited in a December 22, 2005
letter to the airport were fix the runway lights, repaint the
runway markings, and fix airport signs that had fallen into
disrepair. In a follow-up letter dated January 12, the FAA
identified the root of most problems at Middle Georgia as a serious
lack of manpower.

Macon Chief Administrative Officer Regina McDuffie told the
Macon Telegraph she expects the airport to retain its certificate
-- as long as the FAA gives them time to make all the necessary
improvements.

"Some of the things that (the FAA is) looking at will be ongoing
(beyond Tuesday), such as training our personnel and making sure
that we stay in compliance," McDuffie said.

Then there are the problems cited by the TSA. As the problems
relate to security at the predominantly general-aviation airport,
nobody's being specific about those issues... but whatever they
are, Middle Georgia has until March 31 to fix them.

"We are continuing to work with the airport, and our hope is
they will come into full compliance with our regulations," TSA
spokesman Christopher White said last week.

Another question among the many at MCN is a fairly basic one:
who's in charge here, anyway? Former Airport Director George Brown
says he was fired; the city lists him as retired.

Brown is currently appealing to the city council to get his job
back, while former Macon aviation director (and current parks
director) Rex Elder is filling in as the city searches for a
permanent replacement.